Wasted $150 on a hot air rework station that couldn't melt solder

Picked up one of those cheap Chinese rework stations off Amazon last year thinking I'd save some cash. Thing wouldn't get hot enough to desolder a resistor even after letting it preheat for 10 minutes. Ended up buying a Hakko FX-951 for $280 at Micro Center in Denver and finished the job in 20 minutes flat. Anyone else get burned by those bargain bin soldering tools?

3 comments

3 Comments

luna2611d ago

Bought a $40 Chinese iron once and it caught fire on my bench.

xena_hernandez981d ago

I read this article a while back about counterfeit electronics and how cheap knockoffs skip basic safety stuff like thermal fuses. Apparently that brand that starts with a W is one of the worst offenders for catching fire, every single review I saw had pictures of melted handles. It's scary because you think it's just a cheap tool, but it can literally burn your house down. That's why I always check for a UL or ETL sticker now, even on a $20 iron, just to be safe.

troyc1719h ago

Pictures of melted handles, that's wild.